What's a stable job I can train for quickly?

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I'm going through a divorce after 20 years as a SAHM. I've applied for 67 jobs so far, had two interviews and no offers. I'm applying for admin, reception type jobs. Can't do cleaning, catering or retail as I have disc problems in my back. No lifting, standing for hours or repetitive movements.

I have a BA and an MA in art history, an MA in creative writing and have published two novels in the last two years, but I don't make enough money from writing.

I need to find a career where I can make a decent wage (£30,000+) quickly. I have a little time to retrain if necessary, say two years, before the money runs out. What can I do?

I looked at teaching and shadowed a friend who teaches, but I don't think I'd be good at it. I looked at training as a therapist/counsellor but two people have said that the market is flooded with therapists. But I think I would enjoy and be good at that. What does Mumsnet think?

Any other ideas please?

look into AAT bookkeeping - can do a level 2 in a couple of months and get a remote job and work towards a level 3

Do something medical related: dental nurse, optician, radiographer, speech therapist, occupational therapist.

or social worker

Art or play therapy?

Where you are geographically will determine if the market is flooded with therapists, but you won't be trained in two years regardless.

Have you thought about uni administration? You could start on the temp bank and go from there.

Art therapist?

Research services or communications officer at a university

Mortgage Advisor

Most of These require a degree! At least 3 years

Universities are one of the least stable sectors at the moment. Most are massively in debt and already making loads of redundancies of existing staff.

Marketing because of your writing background

The OP said she had two years to train. Some will be last year on the job

Do you drive?

If so, get a pcv license - there are plenty of jobs driving minibuses for schools, care homes, community transport etc.

Accountant

They are still hiring though. And Comms isn't generally one of the areas being cut at a time where they need all the PR they can get.

Might just be a stop gap but two published authors I know run writing workshops, classes and retreats together. They also teach MAs in creative writing.

The workshops are for critiquing our in progress novels or there is a seperate fun one which is just a speed writing session where we get a writing prompt and then write then share. Best writing class I've ever done.

Both women have several novels under their belts but make full time income on these writing adjacent things.

I was going to say bookkeeping too. I'd say not a dental nurse with a bad back.

Sounds like you need something like a portfolio approach.

Have a look at companion care jobs. If you can learn about how to work with people with dementia or other long term conditions, many don't need personal/physical care, but imaginative and intelligent companionship with some domestic care. It can be quite well paid and flexible.

Do you live near an airport? Lots of mums I know work at Bristol in various roles..

Book keeping.

Art history degree- I know someone with that who has worked in various museums, national trust properties and a library.
Any of those sound likely?

What about private tutoring English? Or teaching English as a foreign language? That is a fairly quick course I believe.

Civil service
Start now on lowest rung, should get to £30k in 2 years

I'm terrible with numbers. I can't imagine I'd be good at bookkeeping.

I'm in SE London, not near the airports though.

I'd love to do uni admin. I've applied for lots of those roles but had no luck yet.

I worked with museums before having kids and have applied for quite a few roles in museums again. No luck yet.

I do drive, but I have points on my licence. Disqualified me from one job I applied for driving a school minivan.

I've wondered about TEFL. Is it possible to make a career of it?

I've looked at teaching writing or running workshops, but it doesn't feel sustainable long term unless it's within a school. I need something stable.

Is there a civil service website for jobs?

Did you look at primary or secondary teaching? Would you consider the other, or teaching in HE?

There’s a shortage of speech and language therapists, and I think there might be some funded opportunities for training. Might be worth a look.

Speech and language therapy sounds interesting. I'll check that out.

I looked at both primary and secondary teaching and don't think it would suit me. I'd love to teach HE, have applied for some jobs, but haven't had any luck yet.

Have you looked for NHS admin jobs? Receptionist jobs?

The problem with these is that they are degree courses and the OP has a degree , so she’d have to self-fund. Also, if she has A levels, she probably doesn’t have them in the right subjects, so would need to take at least one A level or access course in a relevant subject, which also would show evidence of recent study, which she’ll also need. So that’s another year.

However, there’s a shortage of occupational therapists, I know - my sister is one - so much so that you can be hired as an OT assistant and do well.